The Mutants Gotta Stick Together!
by MoonstoneMeow
Summary: "We mutants gotta stick together! If one of us makes it out, we all do. We gotta protect each other! We don't have anyone else." Why did Billy have to go and say that? Now that he's free, and the other mutants know it, he has to keep his promise, even if it puts his own freedom in jeopardy. He *IS* the leader, after all.
1. I DO NOT LIKE PENNY!

Smart Class is SO boring! Billy leaned his head against one of his hands, listening to the teacher drone on and on about something-or-other. Not that it mattered. He wouldn't learn anything of value even if he did listen.

Billy had been put into the Smart Class almost immediately after coming back to school. The experimentation made him more efficient at learning. That's what people said, anyway. Billy didn't know, nor did he really care. He just wanted to go downstairs and play Monstermon with Nugget.

He must've fallen asleep, because next thing he knew a hand was being slammed on his desk. The sudden noise startled him, and he was about to attack before he realized it was just the teacher.

"Billy, is my class not interesting enough for you?"

"N-no… it's fine…"

"Really? Then I'm sure you won't mind catching up with it during Study Hall."

"I…" Billy's heart dropped. Lunch and Recess were the only times he ever got to see Nugget, since Nugget could never afford science, which was mandatory for Billy. "No. I would mind. I'm going to go to recess."

"You can't just…"

"Watch me." Billy walked out of the room, and the teacher didn't follow him. He was pretty sure that he was too scared to. Billy walked down the stairs, past the hall monitor who was currently higher than a kite, and went into lunch.

When he got in the cafeteria, he looked around. Seems he was one of the first kids here. Now that he thought about it, there were still students in the classroom when he left it.

The kids filed in, sitting with their friends and avoiding their enemies. That was usually the case, for the people who got picked on at least. The bullies seemed to flock towards the meekest, so it was no surprise that Cindy was bragging to Lily about her boyfriend collection, and Bugs was picking on Nugget. Billy was about to wave Nugget over, but felt a pang of guilt when he saw someone else. Ozzy.

"_Ozzy? Oh, you're not Ozzy. Do you know him?"_

_Billy shook his head. "I don't know any of the other set of kids. Why?"_

"_He was my boyfriend. I miss him…"_

_Billy gave the girl a reassuring smile, but knew she was never going to see Ozzy, or anyone, ever again. "I'm sure we'll get out of here soon enough." It wasn't very convincing._

Billy sunk down in his chair, feeling a bit smaller. He wished he could forget everything that ever happened, and just go back to the way things used to be. But he knew that was impossible.

"Nugget says hi to his friend Billy." Nugget had a lop-sided smile. _So happy, even after everything._

"Hey Nugget, what's up?"

"Nugget needs Billy to help Nugget infiltrate the cafeteria in search for more nuggets!"

"Sure." Billy nodded, and walked up to the lunch lady. "Can we get, like, 200 to 300 warm chicken nuggets?"

The lunch lady gave Billy a sideways look. "...Fine, okay, but don't tell any of the other students." As she said everyday. Everyone was scared of Billy, scared of what happened when he was upset. Nobody, not even Billy, really knew what he could do, but he had an array of supernatural abilities that happened (accidentally, their really tiring too) every now and again (their more powerful when he's emotional), and very few people knew the real reason why. The teachers, the principal, Lily, Nugget, Protagonist, and… Penny. Penny was always a wild card, but she was well-informed. More informed than the principal. But that's a story for another time.

Billy was handed a large box of chicken nuggets. "Thanks" he said, and headed back over to Nugget.

"Billy got nuggets for Nugget?"

"Uh-huh". Billy gave Nugget half, and started eating the other half. All 150 of them, like a rabid animal whose never eaten before. Billy got an array of weird looks from the other kids, but he just shrugged them off.

"Nugget is grateful to Billy. Billy is a good friend to Nugget." Billy smiled at Nugget, or at least he did, until the nice hall monitor came up.

"Alright little dude, the principal wants to see you. Why DOES she always want to see you?"

"Umm… I don't know?" Billy said, hoping his lie was believable. He knew. He knew very well.

"Billy's leaving Nugget again?" Billy felt a pang of regret for constantly lying to Nugget.

"...Uh-huh. Sorry. It'll only be for a moment. I'll see you at recess, kay?" _If I don't have to go to study hall…_

"Nugget supposes that's okay. Nugget will see Billy soon."

"See ya soon Nugget." Billy allowed himself to be led out of the cafeteria by the hall monitor, and to the principal's office. When he came in, the principal had a table set nicely with tea and crumpets. Billy didn't actually know what a crumpet was until he started having to have lunches with her. The tablecloth was pink, and everything was on fancy china. Sitting at it was the principal and Penny.

"Billy, it's so kind of you to join us" the principal said in a sweet voice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, can't we just get this over with?"

"I wish you could at least _try_ to enjoy our little meet-ups."

Billy rolled his eyes, and the principal took out a glass bottle with a strange chemical contained inside. Penny looked away as Billy downed the mysterious liquid. Billy's throat burned as he went into a coughing fit. _It tastes like fire._

"Is that all?" Billy asked.

"Can't you join me and Penny for lunch?" the principal asked.

"Sorry, already ate. Not hungry."

"We both know you're _always_ hungry, Billy. Why don't you stick around?"

"'Cause we do this every other day and I have friends who see me as more than just a science experiment."

"Billy! I don't see you as a science experiment at all! I just want to take care of your… special needs is all. We both know what would happen if I didn't."

Billy did remember.

He was sitting in class, not long after his freedom, and he had simply passed out. He had been feeling so weak for so long, and he passed out. Nobody could wake him up. Lily told him it had been a couple days before he woke up. And what woke him up was drinking one of the strange chemicals that the principal had so graciously located from the other school and replicated for Billy's sake. But instead of giving it to him, she had him come to her office during lunch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to get some. He could feel the difference in his energy levels immediately, so he had no ability to protest. He needed her help as much as she wanted his test results. Which was also part of the agreement. Every week on Friday he had to go underground with her to run some tests. Gosh he hated that part.

"...Fine, whatever." Billy sat down, right next to Penny. She had a bright, (synthetic) smile when he sat down. They shared tea, and Billy followed all of the stupid manner rules.

When the bell rang for recess, Billy put that kissing up to the test. "Hey… I fell asleep in class by accident… you know much energy I need, and Dr. Danner told me to go to study hall today. Is it possible…?" Billy trailed off, looking hopefully at the principal.

"Billy, you know I can't give you special treatment."

"But…"

"What would the other kids think? Besides, you need to learn you lesson for falling asleep in class. I'll see you later, okay?" _That's right… it was Friday._

So Billy did what he had to. He'd pay the consequences later, and he knew that, but for now he was gonna have fun. So he walked out the door with his head down, then ran into the school yard and took a leap of faith into the Nugget Cave.

He hit a pile of soft, somehow still warm nuggets, and sighed in relief.

Unsurprisingly, not soon after, more nuggets showered from the hole above him, and Nugget came down.

"Nugget knew Billy would be down here!" Nugget said gleefully, hugging his friend.

"Of course I am! ...Sorry I had to leave you in lunch, the principal just wanted to talk to me…"

"The principal wants to talk to Billy a lot…"

"Billy falls asleep in class a lot." Billy quickly realized he had accidentally picked up Nugget's weird way of speaking. It's a lot easier than it sounds, but Nugget didn't even seem to notice.

"Did principal tell Billy to go to study hall?"

"...Maybe…"

Nugget looked worried for a moment, but then didn't really seem to care. "Nugget is glad Billy joined Nugget instead.

"I am too."

The two of them started playing Monstermon together, until the door at the side opened.

"So this is where you've been" the principal said disapprovingly. "I should have known you weren't going to listen to me."

Billy felt an unwelcome emotion: fear. It shivered up his spine as Nugget hod behind him, as if the principal wouldn't know he's there if she couldn't see him for a moment.

"Oh Billy, you never learn, do you?" the principal shook her head. "Perhaps I should teach you a thing or two myself, if your classes are too boring. You know what? You've done me a favor, already coming down here on your own accord. Why don't you see me… for science class."

Billy didn't like what she was getting at, and Nugget picked up on it, standing in front with his arms open, as if it'll protect him. "Nugget says to leave Billy alone!"

_He's so dead._ Billy quickly pushed Nugget out of the way. It was a sweet gesture, but Billy wasn't going to let Nugget get hurt. "Fine, fine, I'll go. Just leave Nugget alone."

"Naturally." The bell rang. "Nugget, you should go to gym now. I'll contact Dr. Danner in a moment, so don't you worry about Billy here."

"Nugget says no!"

Billy put his hand on Nugget's shoulder, and looked him in the eye. Billy could see the green glow from his own eyed reflected back at him. "Nugget, I'll be okay. Go to gym now, okay?"

"But… Nugget says…"

Billy hugged Nugget, tighter than he meant to. "I'm okay. I'm okay, okay?" Nugget sadly nodded, and left the Nugget cave. "Fine… do what you want…"

"Oh believe me. I will."

Nugget walked into gym, head held low. He had no clue what was going to happen to Billy, but he wasn't going to let it continue. He looked over at the Pretty Lily, who was sulking at the bleachers. She looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. She used to go to science, but was kicked out when she released the lab rats. _Nugget thinks it was really so she would be further separated from Billy._

"Nugget needs to talk to the Pretty Lily." Nugget said, feeling his cheeks warm up a little.

"...yeah?" Lily looked a little nervous. Usually she could get a good read on people, but not Nugget. He did look scared, so Lily figured she'd hear him out.

"Nugget saw principal take Billy!"

"WHAT?" Lily didn't mean to shout that loudly, but that had really struck a nerve. She got up, ignoring Ms. Applegate's protests, and ran upstairs. Nugget followed swiftly.

"Where's my brother?" Lily shouted into the classroom, getting everyone's attention. A small explosion came from the chemistry table, but Lily couldn't care less about that. Penny ran up to her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you should be in this area at this time." Penny firmly gripped Lily's arm. "I'll walk you back to class."

Lily frantically tried to escape from Penny's grip, but she was too strong. However, Nugget had a better idea.

Nugget quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a Nugget he had been holding onto. He meant to hide it for any potential friends to find, but this seemed like a better use. He threw it at Penny. In her surprise, she loosened her grip just enough for Lily to break free.

"Nugget might know where Billy is! Follow Nugget!"

Lily decided she had no better idea, so she ran after Nugget, and ended up in the Nugget cave.

Lily looked over at the door Nugget was pointing at. "Nugget… if he's in there, there's nothing we can do."

"Nugget is confused!" Nugget burst out, showing his stress.

"...Billy'll be safe. She's not going to kill him… she needs him too much."

"Nugget is even more confused!"

"...Why don't we go check on him. She shouldn't have him yet. That's not part of the deal."

Nugget nodded, and Lily scanned a card at the door. To Nugget's surprise, it opened.

Three kids, one boy and two girls, were all crowded around a table, eating off of one plate like animals, fighting and using their hands. When they realized they weren't alone, they all looked up with their bright green glowing eyes. _Nugget can't help but notice some similarities to Billy…_

"Umm… hey, guys. Do you know if Billy's here?" Lily asked them cautiously. She didn't want to upset them accidentally in any way, shape, or form.

"Why?" The one named Alice asked.

"He shouldn't be here." The other girl, Madison, added.

"Can't you leave us alone?" Ron finished. They all talked like one. _Nugget finds that unsettling._

shed.

"...I heard that the principal took him in here. Are you sure you haven't seen him?"

Alice leaned backwards into her chair, closing her eyes. A serene expression filled her face. "...He's here. In the room over there." Without opening her eyes, she pointed at a door.

"Thank you" Lily said, and she rushed over there. Nugget followed.

Lily scanned her card, and the door opened uneventfully. Inside was an array of test tubes, chemicals, and vats of liquid. One of which was being occupied by Billy.

"Nugget says let him go!" Nugget shouted.

"You aren't supposed to have him yet!" Lily added. Nugget wonders about this. Yet? Does that mean the principal should have Billy later…?

Billy's eyes moved over towards them. Apparently he was awake. But he missed by a few feet, so he probably couldn't SEE them.

The principal came out from behind some lab equipment. "This IS his time for science class, and he skipped out on study hall, so I think combining the two would be perfectly acceptable. You two should be in Gym right now, should you not? Go back to class now.

"Nugget will not leave without Billy!"

Nugget looked over to Lily for backup, but she looked resigned to the fact that her brother would simply remain stuck here. "Let's go, Nugget. There's nothing we can do. As principal she's perfectly aloud to change his classes, and this sort of thing isn't illegal because of the deal."

"Nugget is curious about this 'deal'."

"It doesn't matter, Nugget. It's important we keep it, though. Let's go."

Nugget didn't get it. The Pretty Lily DIDN'T want to save her brother, Billy? She started walking away, but Nugget just stood there, taking in everything that was happening. She quickly realized, and grab his hand to pull him along. His cheeks quickly warmed up, and he followed. The Pretty Lily is holding Nugget's hand! That thought of that overtook Nugget, and that's all he could think about. He followed, huge smile ear to ear.

"Hey lovebirds! Maybe try doing what you came here to do?" Nugget glanced over, and Ron was giving them a glare. He didn't try to attack them, but he did look hostile.

Nugget noticed Lily tried to ignore him. She didn't look at him, didn't talk to him. She was ignoring everyone. She pulled Nugget along forcefully, not stopping until they made it back above ground. Then she started crying.

"Lily doesn't need to cry!" Nugget tried to reassure her. But it had no effect. She had curled up into a ball, hands on her face. Nugget was unsure what to do. So he just stood there awkwardly, watching her cry. Nugget wonders how long this has been going on.

Billy's head was spinning. His head was spinning and his throat was burning. Well that makes sense. You've only been throwing up for half an hour straight. He figured it was one of the new chemicals being tested on him. She must've been trying to do something new.

The three other mutants were watching him, not one of them doing anything to help him. Madison was too grossed out. Alice was too tired. And Ron… well, Billy was pretty sure he just didn't care. Not like any of them could have done anything for him anyway. None of their abilities could heal.

"Hey. You done?"

Billy looked up to see Ron glaring at him.

"Do I look like I'm still puking?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Well, if your free to leave, Lily and her boyfriend were looking for you."

That got Madison's attention. "Lily has a boyfriend? Who? Tell me tell me tell me!"

"She does NOT!" Billy defended. "Who was she with?"

"Some weirdo who was talking in third person."

Madison squealed. "I didn't know they were a thing now! Alice told me about Nugget's poems, and I think they are so CUTE together!"

"They're not!" Billy shouted. "Nugget's my friend. He probably just told Lily I was taken, and they both came looking for me. And Alice, really? Out of all the things you could have told them about?"

Alice made a motion that could barely be described as a shrug. "She wanted a love story. It was that or the time you dated Cindy."

"Shut UP!"

It was too late. Madison was intrigued. "C'mon Alice, tell me more about it! I never thought Billy would have a girlfriend!"

"I think every boy at my old school has dated Cindy at least once. Even Nugget. And soon, every boy here will too."

"Well I won't." Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"And Ozzy would never do that to me!" Madison added.

"You'd be surprised."

Madison and Ron both glared at Billy, who shrugged. "All I'm saying is that she'll get her way, one way or another. It's only a matter of time. Anyway I should…"

"You like someone, Billy."

Everybody turned to look at Alice, who had her eyes closed. It meant she was using her abilities.

"Who?" It was like Madison couldn't contain her excitement.

"Penny."

"I DO NOT!" Billy shouted. "But I really should be going… Lily's gonna get worried soon…"

"Take me with you!" If Alice didn't have everyone's attention before, she did now.

"I… you know I can't do that…"

"And why not?" This was Ron. "Didn't you say that we're 'supposed to stick together'? Aren't you supposed to be our leader? Whatever happened to that?"

"I…"

"Please!" Madison begged. It seemed Billy was backed into a corner.

"How exactly am I supposed to sneak you guys out?"

Alice closed her eyes, and focused. Then, she lightly tapped Ron on the shoulder and pointed up at a camera.

Ron looked at it, and realized what he had to do. He aimed, and then spit at it. The camera quickly melted.

Alice then pointed at a body bag, and Madison quickly brought it to her. "Fill it, then bring us." Alice said softly, then got in the bag. The other two followed.

Billy quickly grabbed the few things these three had to their names, then as many random chemicals as he could quickly grab. He didn't know what they needed. He completely filled up the bag, and ran to the elevator, scanned his card, and made his way to the surface.


	2. Nugget Will Help Billy!

Penny glanced at the camera, and some official looking document was taped to it, so she had no idea what was going on in the lab. "Mommy…?"

The principal barely looked up. "Yeah?"

Penny continued looking at the paper, and something caught her eye. In the corner of the paper, in the messy chicken scratch kindergartens called good handwriting, was written 'Billy likes Penny'.

"...Nevermind… I… I'm gonna go somewhere, okay? I'll be back in a minute."

"Yeah, sure."

Penny quietly walked out of the room, trying not to disturb her mother again. But, she was finally paying attention. "Penny dear, where are you going?"

"I'm looking for Billy."

A beeping noise filled the room, the source originating from something in the principal's desk. She pulled out a strange device, and Penny quickly stepped away from it out of reflex. Good thing she did, because the device proceeded to explode… right in the principal's face.

Nobody really questioned Billy on anything when he came home on Fridays. They usually didn't even talk to him. He was always in an awful mood, and usually all he wanted to do was eat and sleep, so he was hoping he could get away with the same tactic today.

He quickly got in the car and put his bag down next to him. His mother looked over at him, but didn't say anything. Billy tried to look as innocent as possible, and the car ride was driven in silence.

When the car pulled to a stop, Billy quickly grabbed the heavy bag and and jumped out, running to the door.

"Billy, why are you in such a rush?" his mother asked. Whoops, too rushy.

"...I'm just exhausted. And hungry. And I wanna go inside." _And I wanna make sure my friends don't suffocate to death in a body bag full of chemicals…_

"...Of course… I'll start on dinner in a moment…" Billy nodded, and ran in the door as soon as it was unlocked. He quickly closed and locked his bedroom door, then unzipped the bag, letting three annoyed mutants out.

"You couldn't have made it ANY more bumpy?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"Look, I'm sorry. I broke you out, didn't I?"

Alice proceeded to puke all over Billy's rug, and Madison started looking around.

"Nice room! I love all of the cute plushies!"

"They're Monstermon, and they're not cute. They're fierce!"

"Whatever you say." Madison picked one up and started snuggling with it. Then there was a knock at the door and all three of Billy's mutated guests eyed the door like they were gonna pounce on it.

"Billy, who are you talking to?" It was Lily.

"Umm… no one…?"

"Billy, open the door."

"Can't right now, sorry."

"I have a tub of ice cream with your name on it if you do~."

Billy looked at his guests. "Get in the closet and I'll give you some" he whispered.

Ron quickly picked up Alice, and the three his in the closet. Billy opened the door.

"Billy! How are you feeling?"

"Umm…"

"Were you puking?" Lily asked, looking at the puke on the ground.

"Uhh… yeah… rough day."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Did you need something?"

"I just thought I heard other voices here and…" that's the exact moment Alice started puking again. "What is that?"

"Umm… one of my Monstermon toys. I think it's broken." That wasn't hard to believe. Billy's entire room was decked out (no pun intended) in Monstermon plushies, toys, posters, and just about anything else you can imagine. Just about the only thing that wasn't Monstermon related was a refrigerated display case that held 5 nuggets of friendship, a couple pictures here and there, and a cork board that Billy had been meaning to take down full of conspiracy theories about his old school.

"Billy… are you hiding a girl in here?"

"What? No!" He was hiding _two_ girls and a boy, all three were barely human, so it wasn't _technically_ a lie.

"...I'm worried about you Billy. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course I do… it's just…"

Just then Billy's mom ran in, so Billy didn't have to finish his thought.

"I just got a phone call from your school…"

"Well that sucks." Billy interrupted.

"...and the principal got badly injured in an accident."

"Well that DOESN'T suck! So, we getting a new one?"

"Billy! Don't sound so excited! Anyway, yes, until she feels better. The substitute will be there on Monday. Also, Lily… why are you holding a tub of ice cream?"

"Umm… well… Billy seemed upset, so I figured…"

"Okay, fine. Just don't spoil your appetite, Billy. Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

Billy laughed. "You really think I'M not going to be hungry for dinner?"

"Okay, okay, I get it."

Lily handed Billy the tub of ice cream, then walked out of the room with his mother. Billy lifted up a panel on his floor. Under it was all sorts of food, chemicals, and other things he thought might come in handy. He pulled out four spoons, and opened the closet door. "Couldn't stop puking for 10 minutes?"

Alice smiled a little. "I think I got that out of my system…"

"She's like a coke full of mentos when she gets shaken up." Ron added.

"...Thanks for the visual. You guys hungry, or not? I'd be more than happy to eat this myself." The three mutants all gave Billy a look like they've been betrayed. "Kidding." Billy sat down, and gave each of them a spoon. As soon as he opened the tub of ice cream the four of them were like animals, all but physically attacking each other to get the most ice cream. The frenzy didn't stop until the tub was absolutely empty, which was in a matter of minutes. Everyone seemed much more relaxed now.

When it came time for dinner, Billy had told the other mutants to stay in his room and not to make any noise. He ate dinner like normal, and then he grabbed the leftovers. (Billy's mom always made a lot since Billy's appetite was unpredictable, so even after Billy was done there was sometimes leftovers… sometimes.) "I'm gonna take this to my room to finish." Before he could be stopped, he ran to his room where the other three were waiting impatiently by the door.

"Okay, okay, calm down." Billy considered getting them some utensils, but the look on their faces told him they weren't gonna use them anyway. He walked past them, and put the food down in the middle of the room. "Go nuts." All at once they stopped acting human and went farrell. They stopped caring about the others, just themselves. Using their hands, they were cramming as much food into their mouths as they possibly could. _Do I really eat that grossly?_ Billy wondered.

When the dish was completely clean, and everyone backed away from it, Billy said "I'm about to take this back to the kitchen. Anyone got a problem with that?" When he got no response, he carefully approached the dish and picked it up slowly. When no one got angry, he brought it out to the kitchen, grabbing a couple loaves of bread and some other snacks. He decided it would be safer this time to quickly open his door, throw it in there, and close it again. If those kids were anything like him, the leftovers weren't enough for the three of them. But then he heard a voice.

"Billy?"

Billy turned around to see Lily, with absolutely no idea how long she had been watching. "Yes?"

"Why are you acting so weird today?"

"...I'm just exhausted, that's all. Hard day of experimentation. I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning."

"...Okay. You should get some sleep. It's pretty late and you could use the rest."

"Yeah, okay." Billy opened a closet, and a ton of pillows and blankets fell out. Perfect!

"...Billy?"

"Just trying to make my bed more comfortable."

"Okay… sleep well."

"You too."

Billy took all of the pillows and blankets, and threw them on the ground in his room. "Who wants to build a fort?" And so the four of them had what could only be described as the weirdest sleepover a kindergartener could ever have.

"Billy?" Billy woke up, in a pile of pillows and blankets, and a worried Lily standing above him.

"H-huh? Lily… what are you doing in my room?"

"Billy… you know you could have talked to me about this…" That's when Billy realized what she was talking about.

"...I… I didn't want to rat them out…"

"...We'll talk about the hows and whys later. What I came to tell you is that Nugget's mom called wondering if you wanted to come over, and mom said you did. So… you have to get ready to go…" Lily sounded unsure of her words as she said them. What was she supposed to do about the mutants?

"Well what am I supposed to do about them? Sure, I'd love to hang out with Nugget but…"

Lily sighed. "Are they similar to you?"

"In some ways."

"Then I can handle them."

"You sure?"

"Yeah… go have fun with Nugget. I'll take care of the rest."

"Thanks, Lily. You're the best!" Billy quickly changed out of his PJs, and into a brown hoodie and matching pants. The other mutants were still asleep, so he quietly walked passed them, then shoved a whole box's worth of cereal into his mouth. _Good enough for now_, he supposed.

Billy's mom came up to him. "Looks like someone got up quickly. Wish you'd do that on school days." She laughed. "Alright, let's get going."

After a short car ride, they arrived at Nugget's house. "Now remember sweetie, act civilized and more importantly-"

"No mutant powers." Billy interrupted. He had heard this a million times over. "I know, I'll be good. I'll see you soon, okay mom? Oh, and don't go into my room." Before she could press any farther, Billy quickly ran out of the car, and rang the doorbell. Nugget's mom answered the door.

"Oh, Billy, it's so great to see you! Nugget has been so worried about you lately, he's going to be so happy to find out you're okay!"

"...He doesn't know I'm here?"

"Well… I thought it would be a nice surprise! He's been so upset lately, and…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Honestly, I think it'd be kinda nice to just relax for a bit… So where is he?"

"In his room. You boys have fun now."

Billy walked over to Nugget's room. He knew where it was from multiple visits in the past, even if it's been awhile.

Billy opened the door to see Nugget making a tower of nuggets. "Hey Nugget."

"Billy has come to see Nugget?"

"Yeah. How've you been Nugget?"

"Nugget's been fine, but how about Billy? Billy was taken by evil principal!"

"I'm fine, Nugget. Why don't we just hang out for a bit and… _not_ talk about that?"

"But Nugget wants to protect his friend Billy!"

"...I'm fine, Nugget. ...Do you wanna play Monstermon?"

"Nugget would."

The two boys spent the day playing Monstermon and digging holes. Time passed quickly, and before Billy knew it, Nugget asked "Nugget wants to know if Billy would like to spend the night?"

Billy hadn't realized it was so late, but he guessed he'd been there for a while. The day just went by so fast. "Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun!" Billy couldn't think of any other responsibilities he had today, so he figured it was fine.

"Nugget's happy Billy can join him! Nugget will tell his mother." Nugget happily ran out to tell his mother, and Billy followed. "Billy's spending the night with Nugget!"

"Does Billy's parents know?"

"Can you call them?" Billy asked. He forgot he wasn't supposed to make decisions like an adult.

"Of course I can." Nugget's mom made a phone call, then said "She said you can spend the night… but she also that she knows about your three secrets…?"

Billy's eyes went wide. "Crap! I completely forgot about that! ...Well, I guess if she knows… they're fine?"

"Nugget is curious."

"...It doesn't matter, Nugget. Let's just hang out, okay? And not worry about that?"

"Nugget guesses that's alright."

Billy smiled, and the two boys went back into Nugget's room. Nugget threw a bunch of stuff off of his bed, and welcomed Billy to sleep on the bed, while Nugget slept in a pile of nuggets. But Billy had something on his mind.

"Hey Nugget?"

"Nugget asks what Billy needs."

"...How do you know if your in love?"

The words hung in the air for a moment, and Billy instantly regretted asking. Even in the dark, he could see Nugget's surprised expression using the bright green glow that originated from his eyes. But he sounded excited.

"Billy's in love? With who?"

"I… don't know. I don't know how I would know… It's not like it's something I've ever worried about before…"

"Well, does Billy think about her everyday?"

"...Yeah…"

"Does he like her hair?"

"...Yeah…"

"Does he like to smell her chair?"

"...Ye- Nugget, what the heck? Do you… do you smell Lily's chair on a regular basis?"

"Nugget does. So, Billy has proven he likes a girl. What's the girl's name?"

"...I don't really know, Nugget… I…"

"Billy does not know the girl's name?"

"Of course I know her name! Look, I just don't know how I would know if I like her!"

"So Billy came to Nugget."

"Yes. Can you help me?"

"Nugget will try. Nugget wonders… does Billy know much about the girl?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Does Billy know her backstory, or her family?"

"...Yeah, unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" Nugget looked confused.

"Yeah… she, uh… doesn't have the nicest mother. And she… kinda isn't human…"

Now Nugget was definitely confused. "Is she like Billy?"

"...Not exactly. She… she's an android."

"Android?"

"A robot. But I can't stop thinking about her!"

"Nugget asks if this girl that Billy likes is Penny."

Billy stopped dead. He had said way too much!

"Nugget is going to take that as a yes."

"...Why don't we go to sleep now?" Billy turned over to face away from Nugget, and quickly closed his eyes, hoping Nugget wouldn't bother him if he thought he was asleep.

"Nugget doesn't think Billy is weird."

Billy turned back around, knowing the conversation wasn't over yet. "Of course I'm weird, Nugget, look at me. How could any girl even like me?"

"Nugget doesn't think Billy is any weirder than anyone else. Nugget just thinks Billy needs to understand her more. Nugget thinks Billy should try to get to know her better."

"...You think so?"

"Nugget knows so. But Nugget also knows that Billy is tired. Nugget thinks Billy should be well rested before he attempts to make any plans to woo a girl."

"Heh, alright. Thanks Nugget."

Billy let himself rest, and before long, sleep. But, as always, he had nightmares.

He was in his old school again, under the school. He was breathing heavily, being pressed harshly against a wall by a strong hand. A look ahead of him allowed him to see the principal. The principal forced multiple chemicals down Billy's throat, each one burning more than the last. Not that his throat wasn't already raw. His entire body was shaking, and he felt like he was frozen and burning up at the same time. The principal pulled away his hand and allowed him to drop onto his knees, Billy being too weak to catch himself. Billy proceeded to vomit for what felt like forever, at some point switching from the little bit of food he had left in him to stomach acid and blood. He knew better than to complain, though, and the principal didn't seem to care. He was instead working on some high-tech computer, likely adding some new twisted data to it about Billy's reactions to certain chemicals versus others.

Then, finally, the principal picked Billy up who hung limply from his grasp. He put him down at a table, where he put a drink in front of him. Billy quickly drank it with desperation, not caring if it was spiked. Not only was he beyond dehydrated, the cool water felt wonders on his throat. After a very short time, the principal pulled the drink away from Billy and forced him into a vat of liquid. Billy didn't like being trapped, but the liquid made it so he didn't have to move or feel anything. It was weightless and nice, keeping him afloat and at rest. It was kind of relaxing, in a weird way, and the thing he would always look forward to when experimentation got bad. The fact that, when he was done, he would feel nothing. Nothing at all. A slight smile came across his face. Not because he was happy, but because he was relieved.

As Billy enjoyed his nothingness, he allowed his eyes to wonder, just for a moment. The liquid distorted things, so it was hard to see anything clearly, but… out of the corner of his eye… a blond haired girl around his age was looking back at him with bright green eyes...

"BILLY!"

Billy forced his eyes opened, startled by the sudden noise. He was still in a more feral mode, and he wanted to attack the source of the loudness. It took him a moment to realize he had just woken up from a dream and Nugget was shaking him heavily in a desperate attempt to wake him up.

"Nugget asks if Billy is awake." Nugget had a worried expression, and it looked like he had been at this for a while.

"Y-yeah, I'm awake Nugget… p-please stop shaking me like that…" The truth was Billy thought his head might explode if he had to go through any more extreme movement right now.

"Did Billy have nightmares?"

"Y-yeah, I guess… how could you tell?"

"Nugget could see Billy tossing and turning all night. Nugget regrets not doing anything about it."

"...It's fine, Nugget. I have nightmares all the time, it's-"

"Is it about the time when the poor Billy went missing?"

"..."

"Nugget is right."

"...Yeah. You are right."

"Nugget wants Billy to remember that the evil principal is dead and can't hurt him anymore."

"...But what if he's not?"

Nugget gave Billy a confused look. "Didn't Billy say…"

"That's what I saw yes, and that's what everyone thinks, but… I don't know how to describe this to you Nugget…"

"Why doesn't Billy try?"

"Have you ever felt like… you've died before?"

Nugget had a strange expression, and opened his mouth to speak, but that's when his mother came into the room, interrupting them.

"Nugget, Billy, you two are up just in time! Breakfast is ready, and I made plenty of it!" Nugget's mom was a chef, so she was always making the best food. However, that also meant she probably cringed every time her son chose something that would come out of a McGlob's Silly Meal over literally anything else. Billy, however, loved her cooking, and she would always get carried away making things for him since Nugget would not eat any of it.

The two boys left Nugget's room, the previous conversation being over. When they walked out into the dining room, a large spread filling the entire table was out, looking more like a Thanksgiving feast then a breakfast. Someone woke up early.

"Now I noticed, Billy, that you can't seem to get enough food, and I wanted to try some new things anyway so…"

Billy was starstruck, staring wide-eyed. "Y-you made all of this?"

"Of course I did! Have as much as you like!"

That's all Billy needed to hear! He grabbed a plate and started piling it sky-high, eating all sorts of new, weird, and delicious foods, and as much as he could get of it. Nugget's mom looked very pleased, albeit somewhat off-putted, by just how much Billy was eating. But it didn't last long, as Nugget pulled on his mother's skirt.

"Does Nugget's mom have any nuggets for Nugget?"

Nugget's mother sighed, and nodded. She opened the freezer and microwaved some chicken nuggets. She had tried home-making them before, but Nugget had refused to eat that. So, she had reluctantly agreed to give him what he wanted, but would always splurge a little for Nugget's friends. Or rather, friend, since Nugget was very particular about the kids he hung out with.

As the boys were eating breakfast, Nugget's mom called Billy's mom, and told Billy that his mom was going to come pick him up soon.

So, after they finished eating, the two boys headed back to Nugget's room.

"Nugget asks Billy to continue what he was talking about before dinner."

"I… umm… don't think that's necessary, Nugget. Why don't we just play or something until my mom gets here."

Nugget walked up to Billy, and squeezed his hand. "Billy can tell Nugget anything. Nugget will not judge Billy. Nugget just wants the poor Billy to feel better."

Billy looked Nugget in the eyes, and could see he was being sincere. A pang of regret filled Billy for hiding so much from him, but he couldn't tell him anything. "...I'm sorry, Nugget. I can't tell you. It's not anything against you, and it's not because I think you'll judge or misunderstand, it's just… some things are better left alone." Billy pulled his hand away, and broke eye contact. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I need things to stay the way they are for now, okay? I trust you more than anybody, but… I can't bring you in the middle of this. This is my problem, not yours, and I don't want you to have to deal with it."

"Billy's wrong. Any of Billy's problems have become Nugget's problems."

Billy looked back at Nugget, and fell into his arms, and started sobbing. He sobbed and sobbed. He felt Nugget rub his back in a calming manor and he said something, but Billy didn't know what it was. The room around the two boys shook, a bright green light surrounded Billy, but he didn't even notice. Nugget's mom burst in the room, but Nugget didn't let Billy go. He didn't show any signs of being afraid. He just held on tight to him as what felt like an earthquake went through the room, making things fall of shelves and break. Then, as suddenly as it started, it all stopped as Billy calmed down.

"Nugget, I…"

"Nugget tells Billy that it is fine. Nugget tells Billy that Nugget does not mind Billy being mutated. Nugget wants Billy to know that Nugget just does not care."

A small smile spread across Billy's face. "Thanks Nugget. I'm glad we're friends."

"Nugget is too."

There was a knock on the door, and Nugget's mother quickly got it, hoping the boys didn't notice she was there. They did, they just didn't care. Then she walked back in there, trying to pretend she WASN'T cringing at all of the destruction Billy had accidentally caused.

"...Billy, your mother is here… have a nice day?" She sounded more like she was asking a question then giving pleasantries. She wasn't really sure what had happened, and she would undoubtedly ask Billy's mother about it. His mother would then talk it off like it was nothing, then punish Billy for using his mutant powers in public. Not like it was his fault, but convincing his mother of that was difficult.

Billy waved goodbye to Nugget, pretending like nothing had happened. "See you tomorrow, Nugget."

"Nugget will see Billy then."

He left the room, and went out to his mother, who was waiting rather impatiently.

"Hey mom, I-"

"Why don't we talk about this on the way home, okay?"

Billy nodded, knowing that his mother didn't want to leave her house to the likes of three feral mutant kindergarteners. He climbed into the car, and waved goodbye to Nugget, who was standing in his driveway.

"Billy, darling, next time you invite others to our house, TELL ME!" Billy knew it wasn't about the fact that they weren't invited, it was because they were unruly mutants. But she would never say that.

"They had nowhere else to go! I couldn't leave them there!"

"Couldn't you have? They belong to the principal, and if she finds out that you took them she'll-"

"Oh, the BELONG to her?" Billy's anger flared up, and a bright green light surrounded him. "Is THAT what this is about? Because, under that logic, do I BELONG to the old principal?" The car was shaking, and some of the things they passed by on their drive through the neighborhood (plants, toys, signs, all chosen with no logic), were floating or in danger of it. Billy was hyperventilating, and a large mass of power went through him like electricity. His hands were in fists, and his hair was blowing around even though there was no wind. His eyes were brighter than ever, and it was obvious that he shouldn't be messes with right now.

"Billy! That's not what I meant at all! Now stop using your mutant powers and calm down! Why don't you at least explain to me your thought process?"

Billy allowed himself to relax a little, since this whole thing was getting pretty exhausting, and let everything he had floating drop. "What do you think? I was on the way out of the lab and they practically begged me. I couldn't just leave 'em there! If one of us makes it out, we all do. That's just how it works."

Billy's mother sighed. "Like I've said before, there's going to be a new principal at your school tomorrow. Therefore, those kids are going to school with you."

"Seriously? Mom, they JUST got out of the lab there."

"And, unless they come to school with you, they are going to be returned to the lab. Is that understood?"

"...Yes mom…"

Billy didn't say anything else on the car ride back home, and he quickly ran to his room when they arrived. As expected, three impatient mutants waited for him there.

"Thanks for remembering us." Madison said bitterly.

"Had fun with your friend?" Ron asked.

"...I saw your nightmare…" Alice added in a hushed tone.

Billy was trying to come up with some excuse for the first two, until it really hit him what Alice had just said. "You were in my dreams?"

"Well, I was wondering what you were doing, gone for so long. Dreams are easy to access, so I figured I'd take a peek… I didn't expect to see your memories."

"I'd prefer to keep my dreams private, thank you."

"It's okay. We all have bad memories of the lab. The important thing to remember is that we're out now. You'll be okay." The weak girl reached out her arms, and Billy walked over and sat in front of her, allowing her to wrap her arms around him in a comforting manner. The other two stared curriously.

She slowly brought her hand up to ruffle his hair the way a mother does to comfort a child, and it worked. Billy was completely calm. But he needed everyone to know what was going to happen tomorrow in advance so they weren't surprised by it.

"...So, my mother isn't happy about having three extra mutants in the house…"

"That much is obvious," Ron interrupted. "She's been giving us glares and passive-aggressive remarks since you left."

Madison chimed in. "She doesn't really like mutants very much, does she?"

Billy laughed bitterly. "Who does? Anyway, she said that if you don't want her returning you guys back to the lab, you all have to go to school tomorrow.

"WHAT?" The three of them were all staring at Billy with disgusted expressions.

"It wasn't _MY_ choice. Anyway, the old principal got badly injured in some accident or whatever, so she'll be down for the count. Hopefully for once we can actually get a quality principal who actually cares about the well-being of their students.

"Yeah right." said Ron. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Well your gonna." Billy replied. "'Cause you guys are coming to school tomorrow and I don't think you have the option to decline."

The other three groaned.


	3. Why Can't We Just Get A Normal Principal

Billy's mother had refused to let the three mutants go to school wearing their torn and slightly bloody clothes from the lab, so when they woke up, there were several shopping bags piled up near the door. She had gone shopping while they were asleep, and tried to closely match their styles. They had picked the things that look the closest to their current outfit, and changed into those. Billy wasn't going to tell his mom, but he was pretty sure they weren't going to even consider wearing some of the other outfits. It's not that they didn't like them, and it's not that they had no sense of fashion (okay, maybe Ron didn't, but they other two did for sure), it's just that they only wanted to wear what they knew. Being mutants, they never knew what to expect, and were always changing. Clothing was one thing they could control, and they wanted to make it stay the same. But enough on that.

Billy's mom had made sure to make an extreme amount of food, and even still she ran completely out. Lily had to quickly rush in there and grab her breakfast before the mutants got to it, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten any at all.

The car ride was crowded and loud, specifically because of Ron, who would not stop shouting at the top of his lungs that he didn't want to go to school and that this was kidnapping. Billy gently reminded him that he's been kidnapped before and forcing a child to go to school is following the law, not breaking it. Ron told Billy that if he said that again he would personally make sure that Billy died from acid burn from the inside out. Billy shut up.

They arrived at the school, and Billy's mother said "Alright, I hope everyone has a great day at school and I want to remind you to remain civilized and not to use your mutant powers." Ron spent the entire speil mocking her, and Madison slapped him. The four mutants got out of the car, followed by Lily, and Billy's mother drove away. Now, they were stuck here.

The others looked bored, until something caught Madison's eye. "Ozzy!" she shouted gleefully, and ran over to the red-headed germaphobe.

"...Madison?" he was freaking out a little, since someone had just ran at him, but he had something on his face that almost looked like a smile.

Without thinking, Madison hugged Ozzy tightly, who started trying to squirm away immediately. When she realized her mistake, she quickly let him go. "Sorry, Ozzy, guess I just got a little excited. It's been so long since I've seen you!"

Ozzy was breathing a bit harder than normal, but that kid was scared of his own shadow, so it didn't really matter. If Billy remembered correctly, Ron was supposed to have once been Ozzy's friend too, in the past. And yet he didn't seem even the slightest bit interested in talking to him. He just stood there with an annoyed look on his face. Billy couldn't blame him. He had a hard time getting back to his normal life when he came back too. Madison was just always good at adapting, making her a strange partner for Ozzy. But Ron wasn't, and nothing could change that. There was really no telling if he was even going to attempt to make new friends.

A tap on his shoulder broke Billy's train of thought, and he turned around to see Protagonist, or rather, Kid. Protagonist was just his given name, or at least that's what he told everyone. Honestly, Billy knew very little about this kid, and he preferred to keep it that way. But… he knew more about him than anyone else did.

"Hey." Kid's voice was flat, like he felt nothing. Billy was pretty sure this was true, too. He didn't keep up his friendly facade around Billy like he did the other kids. He didn't really care if Billy saw him as a friend or not.

"...Hey, Kid… what do you want?"

"You brought the other mutants?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Billy sighed. "My mom told me to…"

"Alright." Kid walked away, leaving Billy standing there.

Billy looked away, and happened to look up towards the school. Standing there, among Ms. Applegate and Dr. Danner, was a young business women with long blond wavy hair with red eyes and much more make-up than necessary. She was in a bright red dress that probably cost more than the school itself, and on it was a symbol familiar to every kid at this school, and pretty much anyone in the country could recognize it. A blue shield with a white A on it, meaning she worked with Applesoft.

A feeling of dread passed through Billy, as he remembered.

"_Where did that come from?" He had asked, still too naive to know not to ask questions._

_The principal flicked the bottle containing the green chemical, smiling proudly. "I ordered it from Applesoft."_

"_Aren't they a technology company?"_

_The principal glared at Billy. "Do not speak unless I tell you to. If you MUST know, they sell a multitude of things, ranging from legal to illegal, depending on where you look. This here is _semi_-legal, so nobody can do a thing about it."_

"_What are you gonna do with it?"_

_The principal threw Billy against a wall. "I told you to be quiet!"_

_Billy stayed quiet._

Billy shivered, and looked at her red eyes. Eyes can tell you a lot about a person, and her eyes were dull and uncaring. It's one of the few features that rarely fails to tell you someone's true intent. She didn't care about any of these kids, and Billy didn't expect anything less from a principal, substitute or otherwise. She did, at least, pretend to care, which Billy supposed was a better tactic than his original principal's, which was fear. But the principal here did the nice thing too, and everyone saw how that went.

It seemed Billy wasn't the only one suspicious of her, as Ron and Alice were staring at her too. It didn't matter, however, as the bell rang shortly. But the kids weren't asked to go to class. Instead, they were led to the gym for an assembly.

The kids all filed onto the bleachers, Billy sitting in between Nugget and Lily, with Ron and Alice in the row ahead of him. Madison was sitting with Ozzy. Kids murmured impatiently as they waited for the assembly to start. Then, after awhile, the principal walked in and everyone got quietly quickly.

"Good morning students." She paused, waiting for the students to say good morning back to her. No one, not even Penny, did. She laughed nervously, only for effect. Billy knew she wasn't nervous in the slightest. She was manipulative.

"Now, I know everyone must be very confused as to why your normal principal isn't here, so I wanted to shed some light on it. From eye-witness accounts and other clues left behind at the crime-scene, the police believe that some sort of explosive was involved, though they do not know what caused it and how it detonated. They have still not ruled out it being one of the students, but of course, I believe that none of you would do anything of the sort."

The entire room fell into laughter. She was so naive. She wasn't going to last a day.

"But enough about that. Let me introduce myself. I am Mrs. Huxley, your substitute principal."

The murmuring returned. She wasn't just an Applesoft employee, she was the wife of the creator! Everybody was looking at Ted and Felix for confirmation, but neither of them looked away. They were being the perfect role model students. Billy figured they wanted to look good in front of their mother.

"Now, I am aware of everything that has happened at this school and the last. The students that were affected by said incidents, please come see me after the assembly in my office so we can discuss how to manage your… special needs." Seems she really didn't know how to put this delicately, even as a co-owner of the most popular tech business in the country. "As for everything else, I will try to leave things very similar to the way they were before the principal left, changing only what I find necessary to improve the school." The entire school shared a collective groan. Billy couldn't help but laugh. Not one student in the entire school, even those in the smart class, really liked the way things worked. Billy was pretty sure that even Penny groaned before she caught herself.

"Now, our time together will be short, but I would like to get to know all of you and improve your knowledge for the future!" She waited for applause, but none came. She looked disappointed. But… why did the co-owner of Applesoft need to be a substitute principal anyway?

The students were led out of the gym and into their classrooms, and the four mutants went to the principal's office. She had been here for less than an hour, and it already looked very corporate and not at all like it used to. The four of them sat down on the ground, because none of them had the want or the sense to sit in a chair in front of the desk. They wanted to make this quick.

She walked in purposefully and sat down. "Please, sit in one of these chairs." None of them moved, so she continued. "I'm very happy to meet all of you. From what I understand, Billy, you've been coming here three times a week during lunch so you can get the chemicals you need?"

"...Yeah. So?"

"Well then, please continue to do so, and I'll do my best to help you in anyway I can. As for you other three, we shall make arrangements in the future so that you can get the same opportunity. As for Fridays…" The four kids stared at her, hanging onto her every word. She was about to show her true colors, and everyone knew that. A good person would allow them to just live semi-normal lives, but someone greedy for information… "They shall continue as they were, but with all of you. If there are any objections, I have the full ability to take you three back down there for good, and I'm sure I could take Billy too. I do basically have immunity in all legal matters, so are there any objections?" The four didn't move. "I thought not. That is all, have a nice day."

Billy considered saying something. It seemed they all were, but no one said anything. Instead, they all silently walked out, and went upstairs to smart class. When they opened the door, Dr. Danner glared at them, but then continued teaching as they went to their seats. Billy sat there, bored and terrified, and tried to calm down. _It's nothing new. _He told himself. _You've been treated like this plenty of times before. _He hoped that maybe if he kept telling himself that, he wouldn't worry so much.

After a while of teaching, Dr. Danner told the kids to do whatever they wanted. _Seems he got bored of playing college teacher. _Billy just sat at his desk, looking at his fingernails. He didn't feel like getting up to take the assessment to win toilet paper, and it didn't seem like any of the other mutants did either. In fact, none of them were talking or doing anything, a rarity for kids who acted like such savages. Yet, it made perfect since. They had thought they escaped, but they didn't. They weren't _really _free, just pretending that they were. They were stuck, and if they left, they'd probably die.

It was well known to them that if they ran away, which all of them had considered by now, they'd likely die due to their mutations. The chemicals they were given regularly not only helped develop their mutant powers, but control them. Human bodies were never meant for such strength, and nobody knew how to permanently make them strong enough. Alice was a good example of what might happen if one of them went too long without certain chemicals. From what Billy heard, Alice went through a rebellious phase while she was down in the lab, where she refused to eat or drink anything. The principal, instead of taking a physical approach, took a passive approach and allowed it to continue, because she knew Alice would get over it soon. From what Madison said, apparently there was a point where Alice couldn't contain her powers at all, and eventually, lost most use of her body. However, her powers became second nature to her, and now whenever she closes her eyes she can see a multitude of things. Past, present, and sometimes even future. She can't walk anymore, not for long anyway, but found a way around that, simply floating about a foot of the ground instead. This, however, took quite a bit of energy, so she mostly preferred to be carried by someone else, which was usually Ron. Either way, since then, everyone, including Alice, has done whatever they were told to by the principal without too much arguing. Billy wondered if that was the principals plan all along.

Billy remain lost in thought for a few minutes until he felt a small tap on his shoulder.

He whipped around quickly, survival instincts taking over, until he saw it was just Penny. However, she looked quite different.

She was wearing her hair down, making her look much more approachable. Also, she was holding a doll, one that Billy had seen being taken away from her before by her mother. "Do you want to play with me?" A certain innocence was in her voice, one that reminded Billy that this was a kindergarten and not some twisted insane asylum, even if they may be the same thing at this point.

"...Sure. What did you have in mind?"

A look of surprise filled her bright green (synthetic, not mutant) eyes. "You… you really want to play with me?"

"I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't." Billy heard some childish laughter, and turned around to see Ron raising and lowering his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "Oh shut up Ron!"

More laughter, but this got Penny's concern. "If you're busy…"

"No, I'm not busy! Ron's just being stupid. So let's play, okay?"

"Okay! I only have one doll, so… do you wanna help me brush her hair?"

That sounded like a total bore, but Billy went along with it. There wasn't supposed to be any playing or toys in smart class, but neither of them really cared today, and neither did Dr. Danner. Penny seemed to be a completely different person though, but Billy didn't really mind. In fact, as they spent the rest of the class period dressing the doll up, feeding it, putting it to sleep, and taking care of it's every whim, Billy was actually starting to have a little fun. He would never admit it to anyone else, though. Ron was still laughing at him, and Madison was probably writing weird fanfics about the two of them or something. They REALLY didn't need to know Billy was having fun playing dolls on top of everything else.

Eventually, the lunch bell rang, and the class broke up as the hungry students stampeded the not hungry students. Billy sat down with Nugget.

"Nugget welcomes Billy. Nugget wonders how Billy's day has been?"

"Well-" Billy was suddenly cut off by Ron, who had his arms crossed and an angry look on his face.

"Thought you could just abandon us? Come sit with us!"

Billy looked to Nugget, who had a surprised look. Then back at Ron, who was glaring. "...Sorry Nugget, I'll talk to you soon." Billy got up, even with Nugget's protests.

"Please don't leave poor Nugget alone!"

"Sorry, Nugget. I'll talk to you at recess, okay?" Before Nugget could respond, Ron practically dragged Billy over to the table where the other mutants were waiting with a large pile of food they managed to get together by threatening the lunch lady and stealing from the other kids. Billy wasn't quite sure that was the best way to go about it, but he didn't question them as he was invited to "help himself", which really meant the four would pile as much food into their mouth as they could as quickly as they could. Within minutes, the large pile was gone.

"Okay, what's our plan?" Ron asked.

"Plan? What plan?" Madison looked confused.

"Hmm… I wonder…" That was Alice, and she closed her eyes with a serene expression.

"...I don't even know what we're talking about." Billy finally said, getting a disapproving look from Ron.

"Obviously we need to make a plan to get rid of this principal. She has too much power."

"Well we aren't going to get very far…" Alice opened her eyes, and pointed to the high hall monitor.

"The principal wants to see you four." He looked like he couldn't care less, but he led the four to the principal's office, where they actually sat in the seats they were meant to.

Before long, the principal came out from the door to the outside, for effect alone. She sat down in a dramatic way making it look more like they were going to talk business rather than be forced to drink strange liquids.

"Thank you four for joining me here today."

"Not like he had a choice!" Ron blurted out, but the principal ignored him.

"I would first like to inform you that there has been a slight… change in the way things are going to work around here…"

Billy's stomach filled with dread, and his eyes were wide, listening closely to everything she said. She had the power to make or break them, and she knew it, pulling them along like puppets. She could make them do anything she wanted, and they would be forced to, knowing their life depends on it. So just what did one of the most powerful people in the world want to do to them?

"You are to stay after school _everyday_. No more of this 'Friday until I feel like letting you leave' crap. You will report to the lab after school everyday and remain there doing what I want you to until 5 o'clock sharp. If you fail to comply, you will not get these chemicals you rely so heavily on the next time you're supposed to. Is that understood?" The four mutants nodded, fear filling them. Not one of them said a word. "Good. You will have your lunch periods as normal for now on as I will give you everything you require after school. Now return to the cafeteria."

They returned to the cafeteria in complete silence. She really did hold the puppet strings in her hands, didn't she?

Nugget called out for Billy, but he ignored him. The four mutants sat together, pouting for the remainder of lunch. Then, when it was time for recess, the four of them sat under a tree. Ozzy walked over there.

"Hey! This is MY tree! Get your own tree!"

"Sorry Oz-" Madison started, but was cut off by Ron.

"Get a different tree! Better yet, go sit in the sun somewhere. This is OUR tree now!"

Madison slapped Ron. "This IS Ozzy's tree and we can't take it from him!"

"He can't claim a tree! Just like he can't claim a bathroom stall or a seat at lunch. It's fair game to anyone!"

The two of them got into a fight, pushing, shoving, and shouting. Nobody really felt like stopping them, so they just let it continue. During this time, Ozzy got called away by the principal, so it didn't matter anyway.

Billy was getting tired of this. "ENOUGH!" He shouted. "Can you PLEASE stop fighting? You are causing a scene! Do you really want people to think this is what we're like? So messed up that we would get into a fist fight over a TREE?"

"But we would." Ron remarked snarkily.

"Oh shut UP! All you do is COMPLAIN! I get it, your a mutant, BIG DEAL. But guess what? We all are, so just get over yourself!" A green glow surrounded Billy. He was about to attack, until…

"Nugget wonders if Billy would like to join Nugget in the Nugget Cave."

Billy turned around, his anger fading. Nugget stood there innocently, hope filling his amber eyes, and a smile on his face.

"Sure Nugget, let's go."

"But-" Ron protested, but Madison covered his mouth.

"Have a good time!" Madison said cheerfully, refusing to let Ron move.

Billy smiled gratefully at Madison, then he and Nugget went into the Nugget Cave.

"Nugget wonders why Billy has been avoiding him today." Nugget let himself cry, and Billy tried to comfort him.

"I would never avoid you! You're still my best friend! I was just helping the others adjust. You know how messed up I was when I got out of the lab, right? It's like that, but this time there's three of them and they don't even know who their parents are… I think. I'm sorry Nugget, I really didn't mean to make you feel that way."

"Does Billy really mean it?"

"I do."

Nugget smiled, and hugged Billy. "Nugget thanks Billy for being Nugget's friend. Nugget understands Billy is trying to help Billy's other friends."

The two boys smiled at each other. "Does Billy want to play Monstermon with Nugget?"

"Of course I do!"

They spent the rest of recess playing, forgetting about everything that's been going wrong recently. But, like everyday, eventually the bell rang, and recess was over.

The two of them went their separate ways. Nugget to gym, and Billy to science with the other mutants. Ron wasn't very happy with Billy, but Madison was glad that he had such a good time. Alice decided to stay out of the whole thing.

However, all four of them could tell something was up when Ozzy wasn't in class. It wasn't like him to be late, it would stress him out way too much. He keeps to a very particular schedule, and if there's a change in that, even a slight one, there was likely a very good reason for it. Either that, or something simple, such as getting called out of recess from the principal, led to a chain reaction which led to now. That was the most likely reason, but Madison was concerned.

"He should be here! He always goes to science! Why wouldn't he be here?"

Ron, however, wasn't taking any of Madison's crap. "Oh shut up. He's probably still crying because we sat under the same tree he likes to sit under for a couple minutes. He'll be here."

"I hope so…"

The class went by uneventfully as Dr. Danner told everyone that they should look at a plant, and nobody did. This was a regular occurrence, so it wasn't at all interesting. Yet, the class passed, and still no sign of Ozzy.

Madison was worried, and asked Alice for her help. "Alice, could you PLEASE look for Ozzy? I need to know if he's okay!"

"Okay, okay, give me a moment!" Alice closed her eyes, and a serene expression filled her face. Then she seemed to be having a hard time focusing, then finally, she gave up. "I can't find him, Madison. I'm sorry. That doesn't mean anything bad is happening though! Try to remember that I can't always do this successfully. He's most likely perfectly fine."

"Perfectly fine? He's MISSING! Do you know what that means around here?" Madison was getting frantic, starting to act a little bit like Ozzy herself with all of her stress and hyperventilating. Billy decided to cut in.

"He's been gone for a little under two periods, Madison. And anyway, kids going missing the first day of Applesoft's job is bad publicity for her."

"Didn't you hear her say she was immune to the law?"

"Yeah, but not immune to rumors, and news, and images. If kids go missing AGAIN, she's going to be considered just another awful principal, and people are going to question whether or not her company's products can be considered trustworthy."

Ron stared at Billy, mouth slightly open. "When did you learn to be this smart?"

"I guess I just picked it up during my time at the lab. Plus, I've listened in on a couple of Felix's conversations when I got bored. Business is really complicated."

Madison looked slightly less scared, but still nervous. Then again, all the mutants were nervous as they headed down to the lab under the school. They had no clue what to expect from the newest principal.

The four kids made their way down there, and were welcomed by the principal herself standing impatiently with her arms crossed.

"You're three minutes late."

"I didn't know we were on a timer." Ron glared at her, obviously using anger as a front to hide his fear. The truth was that they were all uneasy, waiting to see just how brutal this well-known celebrity would be to mutated kindergarteners.

She sighed. "You have exactly five minutes after the final bell to get here. For now on, if you're even a second late, you will be punished. Are we understood?"

Ron was going to say something, but Madison stopped him, and the four nodded. They didn't know what being punished included, and they didn't want to find out by being stupid, even if Ron really wanted to scream at her right now. Alice was completely quiet, afraid to say anything, although she did have a worried expression. Billy just stood there, attempting (and failing) to anticipate what was going to happen next.

The principal wannabe split them up into different rooms, and did test after test to figure out what she was working with. She would test one, and while they were getting the minimum amount of rest required to continue, she would work with another. This cycle continued throughout the entire time frame they were there for, and by the end, all of them were exhausted. They got given the chemicals they should have gotten at lunch. The four drank them, somewhat grateful for the feeling of their powers being regulated.

"That's it for today." Mrs. Huxley said. "You have five minutes to rest here before leaving. Don't bother me."

The mutants laid on the ground silently, until Alice broke the silence.

"I know where he is."

"Who?" Billy asked, tiredly.

"Ozzy."

Madison quickly sat up quickly, despite her exhaustion. "What? Where is he?"

"I can hear him hyperventilating. He's gagged, but Mrs. Huxley underestimated my senses. He's here, in that room over there. I can't tell much more than that though."

Madison vaulted herself up, and she walked towards the room.

"Your insane! She just went in there!" Ron hissed.

"I don't care! I'm saving Ozzy! I'm not letting what happened to us happen to him!" She threw open the door before anyone could stop her.

Mrs. Huxley was standing in front of a tied up, obviously exhausted Ozzy who was completely filthy with mud all over him. The look he gave Madison when she came in was like he was screaming for help. But Mrs. Huxley was in the way, staring right at Madison.

"What do you think you're doing? Not only should you have left the school 2 minutes ago, I have told you not to mess with anything. Guess I'll have to take it out on this little boyfriend of yours since your time is up for the day." A smirk spread across her face, as if she won. But again, she underestimated the mutants.

"Leave Ozzy ALONE!" As Madison screamed the last part, her voice gained more volume and power as a green aura surrounded her and her feet left the ground.

It was aimed at Mrs. Huxley, meaning any sort of mutant effects it had was only on her, but Madison was _really_ loud. She always had bad effects on Alice, who couldn't stand the noise. Billy, exhausted though he was, tried to create a barrier around Alice to protect her from at least some of the sound. It seemed to work, but Billy wouldn't be able to hold it for long, especially not with Madison's voice reaching such high frequencies right after being experimented on.

Eventually, Madison stopped screaming, and Mrs. Huxley fell to the ground. Not long after, Madison did too due to exhaustion.

Ron went up to the unconscious Mrs. Huxley, and spit in her face. Instantly, her face started to kind of… melt. Ron smiled. "Alright, Billy, you should free and grab Ozzy. I've got Madison. Alice… are we getting a new principal tomorrow?"

Alice closed her eyes, then nodded. Billy didn't say anything at the time since he was busy trying to untie the super strong knots used to tie Ozzy up, but there was something about Alice's facial expression that had him unnerved. But he couldn't focus on that for long, because he finally got the knots untied and the gag undone, and Ozzy instantly started screaming.

Billy tried his best to calm him down, but he knew nothing he could do would. He instead just covered his mouth, and carried him.

Billy followed Ron out of the lab, with Alice floating behind them. When they got to the surface, however, they were surprised to see several police cars surrounding the area. With them was a very worried looking women with bright red hair dressed to impress. Billy figured it was Ozzy's mom and went up to her.

"We found him in the lab. We don't know what happened to him, but we found him."

She quickly turned around and took Ozzy (now unconscious, probably from relief of seeing his mother) from Billy's arms. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to properly thank you, I…" she trailed off, looking at Billy's eyes and roughed-up appearance. "What were you doing in a lab? Why is there a lab in a Kindergarten?"

Billy gave almost a smile, but his eyes didn't match it in the slightest. "Some things are better left unknown." And with that, he joined the other mutants, and the four of them left the crime scene to go back home. But Billy had an awful feeling of dread for the fallout that was going to come of this.


End file.
